Mémorables
- Langue:
- anglais
- État:
- Œuvre complète
- Paternité:
- Écrite par l'auteur
- État du texte:
- Aucun bruit de numérisation détecté (mesure automatique sur tout le texte, non vérifiée à la main)
- Étendue:
- ~70 100 mots · 333 passages
Citer cette œuvre
- APAXénophon. (n.d.). The Memorabilia [Mémorables]. Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/fr/works/xenophon/the-memorabilia
- MLAXénophon. The Memorabilia [Mémorables]. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/fr/works/xenophon/the-memorabilia.
- ChicagoXénophon. The Memorabilia [Mémorables]. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/fr/works/xenophon/the-memorabilia.
Référence de l'édition que reproduit SigPhi : SigPhi en est la reproduction numérique, pas l'éditeur. L'année de l'édition ne figure pas dans les métadonnées (d'où « n.d. ») et le traducteur n'apparaît que lorsqu'il est connu.
De quoi il s'agit
Souvenirs des conversations de Socrate, écrits pour le défendre des accusations qui l'ont tué.
Contexte et histoire
L'autre source antique sur Socrate à côté de Platon, et les comparer est ce qu'on appelle le problème socratique : le Socrate de Xénophon est pratique, moral et assez conventionnel ; celui de Platon est un métaphysicien. Lequel ressemble le plus à l'homme réel, on en discute depuis vingt-quatre siècles. Note : cette œuvre figure deux fois, sous le titre moderne et sous l'ancien « The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates ». Il convient de dire laquelle on cite.
Contexte éditorial, non une source citable : contrairement aux passages de l'œuvre, ces données ne peuvent pas être vérifiées dans le corpus.
in respect of pleasures; lastly that he was so formidable in debate that there was no antagonist he could not twist round his little finger. Such being their views, and such the character of the pair, which is the more probable: that they sought the society of Socrates because they felt the fascination of his life, and were attracted by the bearing of the man? or because they thought, if only we are leagued with him we shall become adepts in statecraft and unrivalled in the arts of speech and action? For my part I believe that if the choice from Heaven had been given them to live such a life as they saw Socrates living to its close, or to die, they would both have chosen death. Their acts are a conclusive witness to their characters. They no sooner felt themselves to be the masters of those they came in contact with than they sprang aside from Socrates and plunged into that whirl of politics but for which they might never have sought his society. It may be objected: before giving his companions lessons in politics Socrates had better have taught them sobriety. (6) Without disputing the principle, I would point out that a teacher cannot fail to discover to his pupils his method of carrying out his own precepts, and this along with argumentative encouragement. Now I know that Socrates disclosed himself to his companions as a beautiful and noble being, who would reason and debate with them concerning virtue and other human interests in the noblest manner. And of these two I know that as long as they were companions of Socrates even they were temperate, not assuredly from fear of being fined or beaten by Socrates, but because they were persuaded for the nonce of the excellence of such conduct. (6) {sophrosune} = "sound-mindedness," "temperence." See below, IV. iii. 1.…